A UNESCO World Heritage City, Sukhothai houses a vast number of historical sites and temple ruins. As the first capital of Siam, the Sukhothai Kingdom (1238 – 1438) was the cradle of Thai civilisation – the birthplace of Thai art, architecture and language. ‘Sukhothai’ means ‘the dawn of happiness’, and the kingdom did enjoy an extended period of peace and prosperity until it was annexed by the Ayutthaya Kingdom.
Due to its location (about 427km north of Bangkok and sitting relatively in the middle of nowhere) Sukhothai sees a smaller number of visitors than its more popular counterpart Ayutthaya. Sukhothai’s historical sites, however, are by no means less splendid. Most historically significant temple ruins are housed inside the Sukhothai Historical Park and nearby Si Satchanalai Historical Park.
Apart from visiting the historical sites, Sukhothai itself is a quiet rural city where you can still relish the charms of Thailand’s rustic lifestyle.